5 Badass Queens Who Would Have Looked Amazing in Our ‘Queen Of Hearts’ Couture Dresses

Galia Lahav just released its Queen Of Hearts collection, a line of couture dresses inspired by queens. Every woman, after all, should be a queen on her wedding day. Most of history’s famous queens are long gone by now, but we have a feeling they’d love the collection if they were alive. Here are some of the most famous and badass queens in history and what they would wear to their weddings if they took place today.

Cleopatra/Emersyn gown

Cleopatra ruled Egypt from 51-30 BC alongside her brothers and son, but she was the one in charge. While governing the civilization, she also made time for romance, most famously with Mark Antony. She believed she was a descendant of Isis and wore a robe resembling the goddess’s to her first meeting with Antony. With its jeweled embroidery and flowing trail, the Emersyn is fit for such a divine occasion.

Isabella I/Imperia gown

This Spanish queen ruled Castile and Aragon from 1451-1504, during which she and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon united the two regions. They created laws throughout the kingdom they jointly ruled and took back land Spain had lost from Muslim territories, setting the stage for Spain as we know it today. She’s known both as the religious zealot who launched the Spanish Inquisition and the sponsor who enabled Christopher Columbus’s voyage. She’s often depicted in draping robes that resemble the flowy Imperia.

Elizabeth I/Thea gown

Elizabeth was the only queen to rule England without a king by her side, despite many suitors vying for her. She famously declared “I will never marry” at age eight and considered herself wedded to England. During the time she ruled from 1558 to 1603, known as the Elizabethan era, the country remained stable and removed from world conflicts, with the arts and foreign exploration flourishing. She also established the Church of England that’s still around today. The customized fabric and elaborate floral, sequin, and crystal embroidery of the Thea are as extraordinary as her.

Catherine the Great/Aelin gown

This Russian ruler ascended to the throne after her an uprising against her husband in 1762 and grew and modernized Russia into a superpower until 1796. Her rule is sometimes known as the Russian Empire’s Golden Age, which makes the golden leaf embroidery of the Aelin the perfect look for her.

Rani Lakshmibai/Arden

Rani Lakshmibai became queen of the North Indian state Jhansi in 1842 when she married the state’s Maharaja (ruler) Raja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar. She became known for her work fighting British rule of India and commanded a large force in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. One legend has it that she was wounded by the British during the rebellion and kept fighting back until she died; another says she had a hermit burn her body after her wounding so she wouldn’t be killed by the British. British general Hugh Rose called her “the most dangerous of all Indian leaders.” We picked the Arden for her because with the sleek silver material and elegant slit in the leg, she could lead an uprising in it.